


Five Times Rhodey Knew Tony Wasn’t Dead, And The One Time He Did

by Flight_Of_Icarus



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Other, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony wields the infinity gauntlet, and dies, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 22:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14942234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flight_Of_Icarus/pseuds/Flight_Of_Icarus
Summary: James wished he had a body to bury.





	Five Times Rhodey Knew Tony Wasn’t Dead, And The One Time He Did

  1. Afghanistan



“There’s no point going out there Colonel.” the latest idiot said with false sympathy. No ransom video, no demands for anything, he’s...well…”

“Alive.” he snapped, losing his patience. “If that’s all, I’ve got to get back out there.”

“Colonel, you have to accept you’re going to find nothing but a corpse.” he replied, his tone turning sharper.

“Until I find his body,  _ you’ll _ have to accept that I’m not going to stop searching.” James bit back, and didn’t bother to shut the door on the way out.

*~*~*

Three days later he had his arms around Tony, feeling his shaky breaths and bruisingly tight grip. He was gaunt and starved but he was alive and safe and  _ here _ so James held on to his little brother in all but blood a little bit tighter. He stuck a mental middle finger up to every single person who doubted that Tony Stark wouldn’t claw his way out of Hell itself to kick the Devil in the face.

“Next time you ride with me.”

 

  1. New York



He was going to handcuff Tony to him, since it seemed that was the only way to keep him out of trouble.

The War Machine AI was speaking calmly in his ear, giving him live reports on the New York situation, but she refrained from telling him that he was burning the jets, racing to New York from halfway across the world.

“Boss-man...there’s an update on Iron Man….” ROXY said, and James steeled himself when he heard the slight warble in her voice.

“Put it up.” James said, and thought absently he should ask ROXY to check that his heart didn’t stop when he saw Tony  _ with a nuke on his back _ heading straight to the portal that was spitting aliens.

He watched silently, unable to make a sound as ROXY guided the armour on autopilot into going even faster, even as she flashed the warning sign at the bottom of the HUD.

Tony disappeared into the portal.

…

…

…

He didn’t come back out.

The portal started to close.

ROXY made a sound of distress, a static sound that he’d always heard when he’d gotten hit hard in the armour.

“He’s not dead.” James said to her, “If there isn’t a body, then he’s not dead.”

*~*~*

“Never again.” James said, when he finally got to the penthouse, stumbling out of the armour to shake Tony before he pulled him into a hug. “Never again Tones.”

“You’re always late to the party Rhodey.” Tony said, leaning into him. “You’ve really got to work on your timing.”

 

  1. Malibu



He needed to make sure someone got the bots up safely.

He watched as the cliff crumbled, Tony’s favorite house, even if he wouldn’t admit it, falling into the sea. He’d always liked that house better than New York, been amused when Tony built a livable house on an unstable cliff out of spite.

“I’m sorry about your friend.” some random person said, James didn’t bother to check.

“Yeah, this is not what I meant when I told him to take a vacation.” James mused, swiping the screen to the side and bringing up the details of the Mandarin.

“Colonel?” they said uncertainty.

“I’m gonna go after him.” James said, standing to go get the suit. He was looking forward to punching this Mandarin fellow in the face.

“You have to consider the possibility that he’s dead, Colonel.” the Idiot said, and James looked at him in confusion.

“What? I’m not going after Tony, I mean this Mandarin guy.” James said, gesturing to the video playing in the background. They merely gaped at him and he refrained from rolling his eyes. “If the divers haven’t brought up a body, Tony Stark isn’t dead.”

He strode out, texting Pepper quickly for a status update on Happy.

*~*~*

“We’re gonna have a conversation about inviting a terrorist to your house, Tones.” James said, hugging Tony. “But...I’m proud of you for this.”

“It’s just a little surgery Rhodey-bear.” Tony teased, glancing into the examination room where they were setting up. “You'll….be here when I wake up, right?”

“I’m not leaving, even if the President gets kidnapped  _ again _ .” James said, startling a genuine laugh out of him.

 

  1. Siberia



“Where’s Tony?” he said hoarsely, coughing and accepting the glass of water steadied in his hand by Pepper.

“Missing.” is her answer but pushes the straw into his mouth insistently until he sipped at it. Happy was hovering by the door, deep frown lines in his face and he did nothing to hide the grim look on his face when he met his eyes.

“They sent Vision.” Happy said, coming closer to the bed. “Siberia was the last pinged location.”

“He should have taken backup.” James said, slumping back to the bed. “How far away are they? Think I can catch up?”

Both their gazes went to his legs.

“No,” Pepper said quietly, “I don’t think you can.”

*~*~*

Sixteen hours later, James bullied his way into a wheelchair and sat in a silent vigil with Pepper leaning onto his side.

“I sent the armour...and the other two things to the Tower.” Happy said tiredly as he entered the room again. “The surgery?”

“Went fine, but he hasn’t woken up yet.” Pepper said when James simply stared at Tony’s prone body. Happy nodded and retook his seat and none of them said anything or glanced up when Vision entered hesitantly hours later.

“Pep.” James said finally. She lifted her head up from Happy’s shoulder to look at him questioningly. “You should sleep.”

“Not until he wakes up.” Pepper said adamantly.

“You’re going to need it.” James said, looking up at her. “I want them all to burn.”

After a long moment, she nodded.

James shifted in his chair as best he could, and settled back to wait as they left.

*~*~*

It took another seven hours before Tony stirred and started to wake up.

“Hey,” James said, relief sweeping through him as Tony’s eyes slowly focused on him. “What did I say about riding with me next time?”

“Sorry platypus.” Tony’s voice was all wrong, dull and flat, and he stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Tell me.” James said, reaching out to touch Tony, to reassure himself he was  _ alive _ .

After a long moment, he did.

“I went as a friend.” Tony finished wearily, curling his fingers tighter around James’s hand and they both sat in silence as the monitors beeped around them.

“I thought he was your friend too.” James said, and resisted the urge to find someone to melt down that fucking shield when Tony flinched, eyes blank and fingers coming up to tap at his collarbone.

“So did I.”

 

  1. Post IW



There was ash everywhere.

After everyone got...dusted, there were piles in the streets, blowing out of apartments and schools and swirling in the air, prompting choking on every breath, and the clouds that hung in the air were a harsh reminder of what the cost of losing was.

He was on hour ten of helping emergency services, bus drivers who had dusted and buses that had crashed, planes without pilots anymore, ambulances with no paramedics, places where the dust was so thick transportation was a joke. Fires from suddenly unattended homes that firefighters couldn't report to anymore.

“Boss-man, call for you.” ROXY said, her voice quiet and subdued. “One of the UN. They’re calling you for an assembly.”

“Let them know I’m on my way.” James said, pushing his metal fingers in the gap and ripping the car door off, letting the grateful and hysterical civilian grab onto his suit before he deposited her in a relatively clear area.

*~*~*

“He’s missing, you mean.” James said, keeping his voice polite through sheer willpower.

“Sorry?” Thaddeus Ross said. James wished that stupid shriveled grape had at least dusted this asshole at the very least.

“Tony, he’s missing, he’s not dead.” James replied, “Last we saw he was on that weird circle thing. We don’t know he’s dead yet.”

“The chance of him being alive after trying to face down-” Ross started but James cut him off.

“Is ½, because Thanos only killed half the universe.” James said, “I understand you might be skeptical General, but unless someone watched him turn to ash with their own eyes and told me, I do not accept that he’s dead. And you would be unwise to the same. Is that all?”

“Yes, but Colonel, the odds of him surviving to make it back are almost none.” Ross said, glaring when James cut him off again.

“That’s what they said during Afghanistan. That’s what they said when New York happened, after his mansion got blown up and they’ll continue to speculate until they’re blue in the face.” James said shortly, “But unless someone who was there tells me, Tony Stark will be back.”

*~*~*

“Giant magnets.” James said, ignoring the blue robot looking woman that also exited the strange spacecraft, hovering awkwardly nearby. “One on each of the armours, so if you launch yourself into space  _ again _ , you’re taking me with you.”

“Deal.” Tony said, and James hugged him tighter when he felt the tears on his collarbone. “I lost the kid Rhodey-bear. I don’t...I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out.” James vowed. “Me and you. We’re gonna figure it out. Just like old times.”

“Okay.” Tony whispered, and they stood like that for a long while.

 

+1

“There’s always a price.” Tony said gently, and he felt the first hit of true fear as Tony slumped in his arms.

“What are you talking about?” he rasped, “You fixed it, you brought everyone back.”

“Honey-bear, promise to take care of Pepper for me.” Tony said, lifting his hand.

The fingers were turning to ash.

“No.” he said, pulling Tony closer,  _ willing _ that he stay alive. “It isn’t  _ fair _ . You can’t...you were never supposed to die first.”

“I wanted this Platypus. I wanted this.” Tony said, looking down at himself and James hated how at peace he looked. “My life for half a universe? You know there’s no cutting the wire for this.”

“Mr.S-stark?” there came a stuttered name and they both shifted to look at the Spider-kid that had almost fully reformed, eyes fixed on Tony’s slowly fading body with horror. James hadn’t even seen him unmasked, and he was struck by how  _ young _ he was. He flicked his eyes to the gauntlet on the ground and there was nothing but sorrow in his eyes as he stumbled forward.

“Hey Pete.” Tony said, smiling one last time as his body crumbled. “Promise me something?”

“Anything.” he said, dropping to his knees beside Tony’s body. His shoulders were shaking as he tried not to cry and he watched the progression of the dusting.

“Don’t waste your life.” Tony said, and James felt the ash under his fingers. He was numb, frozen as he tried to come to terms with what was happening. “You’re so good Peter. You remind me of Rhodey-bear when we were younger. And don’t let this, don’t let anything keep you from trying to make the world a better place. Promise me that.”

“I promise.” Peter said, voice catching as the last of Tony’s body crumbled and they were left with nothing but ash and the last image of Tony’s gentle smile. Not the press smile, but the happy grin he rarely gave when he was happy and there were no masks to portray. 

The one he gave him after three months in a desert, too broken to put on a show and too grateful to hide it. The same one he had when they went on ‘test flights’, bickering and joking as they flew around just for fun with snarky AI comments interjecting. The same one a scrappy fifteen year old gave him when he proudly introduced an AI robot called ‘DUM-E’. 

Rhodey realized with shock that this would be the last time he saw it. 

Tony was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me over at @the-flightoficarus on Tumblr.


End file.
